Universiade 2013 in Kazan

7th Summer Universiade in Kazan 2013, also known as The World University Games, is scheduled between July 6–17 in the city of Kazan, Russia, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Is the 2nd largest sport participation event in the world. Are expected more over 13,500 University athletes from over 170 countries, participating in 13 mandatory and 14 optional sports totalizing 27 sports,the biggest ever in the event history .Kazan has the largest student community in the region with approximately 210,000 students enrolled and will benefit greatly from the infrastructure investment for the The World University Games. The Universiade is organized by theInternational University Sports Federation (FISU), based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Kazan ran twice for the Universiade, the first attempt was for the 2011 Summer Universiade but lost to Shenzhen by just two votes. The city has applied again for the Games of 2013The city has applied again for the Games of 2013, improving your project Many experts were involved in the Kazan 2013 Bid Campaign, and one of the key areas of activities in the process of preparing and conducting the campaign was regular cooperation with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) EC members that eventually took part in choosing the host city for the Games.

The relay ended on May 29 in Brussels. When the marathon participants crossed the finish line near the International University Sports Federation (FISU) headquarters. The FISU members realized the fact which the city was ready to host the event.In 2010, together with other 13 Russian cities, Kazan won the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. And in July 2011, by a unanimous vote of FINA, Kazan was also chosen as the host city of the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships.

Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,138,823 (2010), it is the sixth largest city of Russia. Kazan is one of the key political, economic, sport, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centers of Russia. Kazan is located at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in the European part of Russia. The Kazan Kremlin is a World Heritage Site. The current mayor of Kazan is Ilsur Metshin. Today Kazan is a large scientific, economic and cultural center. In 2005 Kazan celebrated its’ 1000th anniversary. As a city of unique monuments of the past, Kazan is on the list of the UNESCO world heritage cities.

Kazan is one of the oldest and largest cities in Eastern Europe and Russia, has a thousand year-old history. The city is located on the left bank of the Volga River . The city has an exceptionally favorable geographic position being situated almost in the center of the economically developed Volga Region, between the industrialized regions of Central and Ural economic regions of Russia. The geopolitical position of Kazan essentially is unchanged for thousands of years with its main feature being the borderline position of the city between the European and Asian cultures and civilizations. Kazan has always been a center of this interaction. It is a modern city with beautiful architecture which took centuries to be formed under the influence of different cultures. In preparation for the World Summer Universiade 2013, and 2018 FIFA World Cup, Kazan seriously improved its infrastructure with new roads and interchanges, new bridges, new subway stations, along with a completely rebuilt airport which will increase its passenger load and comforts.

Kazan is one of the largest educational centers in the Russian Federation. The city has acquired the right to be officially called the “Third Capital” and “Sports Capital” of Russia. Kazan is also known as the city of students. Six of the largest universities of the Volga Region, and over 20 prestigious institutes are located here, approximately 210,000 students currently study here, over 2,000 of them arrived in Kazan from other cities of Russia and abroad. There are a lot of famous professional sport clubs like Football Club “Rubin”,Hockey Team “Ak Bars”, Basketball “UNICS”, Volley Ball Club “Zenit”, and WVC “Dynamo-Kazan”, etc.

The 64 venues will be concentrated in 4 zones across the city of Kazan. This is the area of the Pobeda Avenue and the Orenburgsky Trakt where the Universiade Village will be located, as well as the Palace of Water Sports, Tennis Academy, Gymnastics Palace. Many sports venues will be located in downtown Kazan, and some of them in Novo-Savinovsky District. The fourth zone will be Zarechye for training grounds. These zones will be connected by renewed highways with two-level flyovers, including the completed “Big Kazan Ring”. Also a new bridge over the Kazanka River is planned to be built – from the Youth Center to Baturin street. The key transportation connector to the sports venues with the Universiade Village will be the newly built subway.

One of the principal parts of an sportive event are volunteers. 20,000 volunteers from across Russia, and 40 other countries in 22 functional areas, are ready for the Summer University Games. 2,000 city volunteers will be recruited to work during the 2013 Summer Universiade and help visitors coming to Kazan for the Games find their way around the city.

Kazan 2013 volunteers will work across more than 40 functional areas such as accommodation, accreditation, doping control, media relations, protocol, transport, organization, and management of sports competitions, etc

The Universiade Village is a residential neighborhood which was constructed in Kazan Federal University campus to house competitors and officials during the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade. Nearly 400 sporting and cultural events have been staged on the campus since it opened its doors in 2010. Shortly after the first move-in phase, an open air step aerobics marathon was held that brought together up to 1,000 Universiade Village residents. As part of the city-wide spring clean-up event that kicked off in Kazan, a series of activities on sanitary cleaning and landscape gardening took place in the student campus in 2012. Almost all students residing in the Universiade Village made their contribution to the ‘green events’ and planted 200 trees and bushes. The campus has already hosted football,volleyball, and chess championships that can rightfully be called ‘international’ – as a number of international students competed in them.

For the first time ever in the history of Universiade one host city, implemented the project of a Cultural Universiade. It represents a whole range of festivals in various performing arts: drama, cinematography, classical and modern music,ballet, and art. The Cultural Universiade comprises annual long-term programs as well as youth talent shows that are launched to select potential participants of the Opening/Closing Ceremonies of the Universiade along with traditional national and municipal festivals. The Cultural Universiade also focuses on creating an atmosphere of celebration for Kazan citizens and athletes, involving as many as possible in the preparations and delivery of the 2013 Summer Universiade.

Equally important is to present Tatarstan’s and Russia’s original culture to its guests, including the vast and diverse historical and cultural heritage. Russia’s centuries-old art and cultural masterpieces, introduced to participants and visitors of the 27th World University Summer Games within the Cultural Universaide, will enable everyone to embrace an atmosphere of cordiality and hospitality, and will contribute to international cultural cooperation. Considerable attention is devoted to events that bring together young performers from all regions of the Russian Federation, and foreign countries as well. The Cultural Universiade’s role is huge, as it helps to reveal a great number of talented youth whom may be able to take their worthy place among creative minds of both Republic of Tatarstan and Russia.

The Universiade Flame is a symbol of solidarity, friendship and peace among students of the world. The 2013 Summer Universiade Torch Relay is an unprecedented event in the history of Universiade. The Russian part of the Universiade Torch Relay will be held between January and July 2013. The Universiade Torch Relay celebrations will take place in 30 top student cities across Russia, as well as 44 cities and towns of municipal districts of the Tatarstan. The plane with the Flame of the 27th Summer Universiade on board landed in Vladivostok on January 24. A crew member of the boat Sedov, the four-masted tall ship, which had been carrying the Universiade Flame around the world, took a flight to Vladivostok to deliver the Flame ahead of the start of the Torch Relay. On January 25, the Russian leg of the most ambitious Universiade Torch Relay in the history of Universiade kicked off from the far eastern shore of Russia. The Torch Relay will arrive at the Kazan Arena on the night of July 6, 2013 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony.

Torch relay facts and figures:

• 5 continents

• 51 cities of the world

• 2,013 torchbearers

• 1.5 Million students around the world

• 359 days is the duration of the relay

• 104,000 km is the length of the relay

The 2013 Summer Universiade Opening Ceremony will be on July 6, 2013 and the Closing Ceremony will be on July 17, 2013. The Opening/Closing Ceremonies will take place in the new Kazan Arena. The stadium, with the seating capacity of 45,000 people, will also host the Main Press Center (MPC), and the International Broadcasting Center (IBC).

For the first time in Universiade history, 27 sports will be contested at the 2013 Games.

The symbols of the 2013 Summer Universiade are logo, emblem, and mascot.

27th Summer Universiade Kazan 2013 Symbols

Any Universiade logo must contain the Latin letter ‘U’ which is a mandatory element to brand any sporting event held under the auspices of the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The logo of the 2013 Summer Universiade represents a vertical rectangular design that comprises words ‘Universiade’, ‘Kazan’, ‘Russia’, ‘2013’ and five stars of the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The emblem of the 2013 Summer Universiade takes its origin from an image of a tulip, a common element of Tatar ornaments that symbolizes revival. Plus, flowers are an essential part of summer, a symbol of youth, development, joy, and happiness. The present day the ornament that has become much deeper in its essence keeps playing a significant role in the nation’s arts and crafts. Uni, the kitten of winged snow leopard, has been chosen as the mascot for the Kazan 2013 Summer Universiade. The winged snow leopard is the national symbol of the Republic of Tatarstan. Stylized, this creature is represented on Tatarstan’s coat of arms.